Container

ABSTRACT

A plastic container is described for liquids which are in part capable of migrating through the plastic. The container has a relatively rigid top and bottom connected by plurality of relatively narrow walls and a plurality of relatively wide wall located between the narrow walls. The wide walls are initially planar but assume a concaved configuration as the pressure in the container is reduced due to migration of moisture through the walls of the container, while the narrow walls rigid top and bottom remain unchanged in configuration.

United States Patent [191 Welker, III

1 1 Dec. 2, 1975 1 1 CONTAINER [75] Inventor: George W. Welker, III,

Downington, Pa.

[73} Assignee: American Home Products Corporation, New York, N.Y.

[22] Filed: July 25, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 491,905

[52] US. Cl 215/] C; 206/525; 426/130 [51] Int. Cl. A61J 9/00 [58] Fieldof Search 215/] C, 11 E; 150/.5;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1964 Meissner 215/323.369.690 2/1968 Hayes 215/] C UX D25,048 1/1896 Sherwood D9/l67 FOREIGNPATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 978.705 12/1964 United Kingdom 215/1 C 868.1705/1961 United Kingdom 215/1 C Primary E.raminerDonald F. NortonAttorney, Agent, or Firm-Joseph Martin Weigman [57] ABSTRACT 2 Claims, 7Drawing Figures U.S. Patent Dec. 2, 1975 Sheet 1 of2 3,923,178

US. Patent Dec. 2, 1975 Sheet 2 f2 3,923,178

FIG.6

FIG.5

' 1 CONTAIN-ER. I

The invention is directed to plastic containers for liquids. Moreparticularly the invention is directed to contai'ners for liquids inwhich at least a part of the liquid tends to migrate through the wallsof the container causing a reduced internal pressure that tends tocollapse the container under the ambient pressure. The present inventionmakes use of the tendency of the container to reduce in volume duringstorage to produce a container the appearance of which is enhanced byvolume reduction.

The advent of the form-fill-seal packaging which has resulted from theinvention described in US. Pat. No. 3,325,860 has resulted in theproduction of low cost, filled and sealed sterilized materials. However,it has been found that many liquids when stored in plastic containerstend to have a portion of the liquid migrate through the walls of thecontainer.

Depending upon the plastic material utilized, differential permeationmay occur where a corresponding equal volume of gas cannot enter thecontainer to replace the escaping liquid. This condition can be furtheraggravated because the container does not have a standard separateclosure system which could function as a pressure equalizing vent. Thisresults in a reduced volume and a reduced pressure in the container. Thepressure differential between the ambient and internal pressures causesthe container to collapse, or occupy less volume, and present anunpleasant appearance on extended storage.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a container forliquids subject to moisture migration in which the appearance of thepackage is enhanced upon storage.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a container forliquids subject to moisture migration which limits the volume reductionof the container to selected areas.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a containerfor liquids subject to moisture migra-- tion in which most of thesurface of the container is resistant to flexing and a portion of thesurface of the container is subject to flexing.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide acontainer for liquids subject to moisture migration in whichpre-selected portions of the package are adapted to assume a concavedposition due to pressure differentials arising during extended storage.

Other and further objects of the invention will be apparent from readingthe following description in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view, partly in section, of a containerembodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of the containerof FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the container of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along line 44 of FIG.3;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken across the length of thecontainer of FIG. 1 showing a new configuration occupying less volume;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken across the width of the containerof FIG. 1 showing a smaller volume configuration; and

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along line 77 of FIG.5.

The objects of the present invention may be achieved in a plasticcontainer for liquids which are, at least in part, capable of migratingthrough the plastic in which the container has a relatively rigid topand bottom joined by a plurality of relatively narrow wall portions anda plurality of relatively wide wall portions spaced between therelatively narrow wall portions.

As may be seen in FIG. 1, the container 10 is made up of a relativelyrigid top portion 12 that is further comprised of a rounded shoulderportion 14, a planar portion 16, a neck portion 18 and an integralclosure 20. It is advantageous that the neck 18 contain threads 22 whichwill cooperate with a dispensing device after the closure 20 is removed.A specific dispensing device contemplated is a baby nipple whichtypically has a soft pliable nipple connected to a container by athreaded ferrule.

The container 10 is further comprised of a relatively rigid bottomportion 24 which has a central portion 26 surrounded by an arcuate outerportion 28. The top portion 12 is joined to the bottom portion 24 by aplurality of relatively narrow walls 30, 32, 34, 36 and by a pluralityof relatively wide walls 38, 40, 42, and 44. For esthetic reasons it hasbeen found desirable that the walls 42, 44 be even wider than the walls38, 40. Each of the wide walls is connected between two narrow walls asmay be seen in FIG. 3.

In an especiallyadvantageous embodiment the narrow walls have adimension A which is about [2 inch and two of the wide walls have adimension B which is about 1 inch while the remaining two wide wallshave a dimension C which is about 1 1 inch. The total height of thewidest walls as shown in dimension D (FIG. 1) is about 2 inches.

The liquid contents 46 are contained within the chamber 48 defined bythe container.

As may be seen in FIGS. l4-, in the container as initially filled therelatively wide walls are planar, that is, they are straight andundeformed.

After the container 10 has been stored for a period of time, which maybe two weeks to two years, a portion of the liquid contents 46 hasmigrated through the walls and escaped the container. The resultingreduction in volume reduces the pressure within the chamber 48. Thiscauses a differential pressure between the chamber 48 and the ambientatmosphere. Due to the pressure thus applied the relatively wide walls38, 40, 42, 44 become concaved as is shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7. Thenarrow walls 30, 32, 34, 36 and the top portion 12 and the bottomportion 24 are less susceptible to deformation and show no visibledeformation during the normal shelf life of the liquid contents.

The resulting package with the concaved wide walls presents a pleasingappearance. There is no deformation apparent to the consumer. Thus, bycontrolling the location of deformation the phenomenon of moisturemigration may be utilized to enhance the container appearance duringstorage.

What is claimed is:

l. A sealed plastic container for liquids at least a portion of which iscapable of migrating through the plastic comprising:

1. A relatively rigid top;

2. A relatively rigid bottom;

3. At least four relatively narrow, substantially planar wall portionsconnecting said top and bottom;

whereby the relatively wide wall portions become concaved when theliquid migrates through the plastic and the internal pressure becomesless than the ambient pressure while the relatively narrow wallportions, top and bottom, retain their initial shape.

2. A container as defined in claim 1 in which the height of the widestwall portions is about four times the width of said narrow wallportions.

1. A relatively rigid top;
 1. A sealed plastic container for liquids atleast a portion of which is capable of migrating through the plasticcomprising:
 2. A relatively rigid bottom;
 2. A container as defined inclaim 1 in which the height of the widest wall portions is about fourtimes the width of said narrow wall portions.
 2. A relatively rigidbottom;
 3. At least four relatively narrow, substantially planar wallportions connecting said top and bottom;
 3. At least four relativelynarrow, substantially planar wall portions connecting said top andbottom;
 4. At least four relatively wide, substantially planar wallportions connecting said top and bottom and connected one between eachpair of relatively narrow wall portions, A. the width of said wide wallportions being about two to two and one half times the width of saidnarrow wall portions;
 4. At least four relatively wide, substantiallyplanar wall portions connecting said top and bottom and connected onebetween each pair of relatively narrow wall portions, A. the width ofsaid wide wall portions being about two to two and one half times thewidth of said narrow wall portions;
 5. A liquid disposed within thecontainer;
 5. A liquid disposed within the container;
 6. Said top,bottom and walls being formed from a plastic which is permeable by saidliquid; whereby the relatively wide wall portions become concaved whenthe liquid migrates through the plastic and the internal pressurebecomes less than the ambient pressure while the relatively narrow wallportions, top and bottom, retain their initial shape.
 6. Said top,bottom and walls being formed from a plastic which is permeable by saidliquid; whereby the relatively wide wall portions become concaved whenthe liquid migrates through the plastic and the internal pressurebecomes less than the ambient pressure while the relatively narrow wallportions, top and bottom, retain their initial shape.